Mayflower Hotel makes a mint from Spitzer's last stand

Own a hotel that's struggling to make ends meet? You could do worse than offer the governor a place to shack up with a top-drawer hooker. The Mayflower Hotel in D.C. has enjoyed a burst of business in the wake of Eliot Spitzer's flameout.

According to the Washington Post, the hotel's gift shop has experienced a huge demand for swag bearing the hotel's name, from terry-cloth bath robes to coffee shops and even mints. I knew I should have rushed t-shirts into production that said "Client 9" and "Five Diamonds," which would be perfect for the shop.

Unfortunately, not all commemoratives were purchased; guests have been helping themselves liberally to logoed room furnishings. Even the room number of Spitzer's last stand was stolen off the door.

The scandal has also drawn a number of curious tourists to the hotel, which strikes me as a bit futile, like trying to experience Babe Ruth's swing by staring at his footlocker. I wonder, though, just how many couples will reserve a room at the Mayflower for the opportunity to enjoy a little role playing? Who would have imagined playing Governor of New York could be so sexy?

If you're my age, you might recall the details of former NY governor Nelson Rockefeller's demise with admiration, and a sense that the more things change, the more they don't.